Snow remover



1942- w. E. KLAUER SNOW REMOVER Filed Feb. 21, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet l J8fin PY/alier EKlauer,

Nov. 17, 1942.

w. E. KLAUER snow nnmovmn Filed Feb. 21, 1940 Nov. 17, 1942.

W. E. KLAUER snow REMOVER Filed Feb. 21, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 awe/whomPVzZZer EKZauer,

Patented Nov. 17, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SNOW REMOVER WalterE. Klauer, Dubuque, Iowa Application February 21, 1940, Serial No.320,209

14 Claims.

The invention relates to snow removers and particularly to poweroperated snow removers of the horizontal auger type.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a mounting for thehorizontal auger of power operated snow removers which supports th augerfirmly while reducing to a great degree the friction resisting turningof the auger.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a novel enclosurefor the auger-driving mechanism of a horizontal auger snow remover, andparticularly the type in which a plurality of augers are mounted oneabove the other.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a housing for theauger-driving mechanism which also acts as an entering edge for one sidewall of the snow remover, and which is so designed as to give properbalance to the snow remover as it moves into the snow and preventlateral shifting of the snow remover, particularly when it is being usedfor widening a. cut in the snow. According to this feature the frontedge of the casing is tapered forwardly, but the inner tapered surfaceis of greater area in front projection than the outer surface so thatthe snow remover moves forward in a straight line and is not pushedsidewise by the pressure of the snow thereon. This balance is attainedbecause the augers carrying the snow towards the center of the snowremover reduce the pressure per unit of area on the inside of the casingwall, while the full pressure of the snow is exerted on the outside.Thus a greater area on the inside is necessary to compensate for thereduction in the pressure per unit area thereon, in order to balance thetwo pressures.

Still another object of the invention is to provide means at the free orundriven end of an auger for engaging the snow and keeping it frombecoming packed around the auger bearing.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear more fullyfrom the following description, particularly when taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings which form a part thereof.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a cross section through a snow re-= mover embodying myinvention, substantially on the line [-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal View, principally in on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detail view of the left-hand end of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation, from the inside, of the guard for the augerdriving mechanism;

section Fig. 5 is a front View thereof;

Fig. 6 is a view thereof from the outside;

Fig. 7 is a top plan view thereof;

Fig. 8 is a cross section on the Fig.

Fig. 9 is a top plan view of the front part of the device shown in Fig.1, on an enlarged scale, and

Fig. 10 is a cross section on the line Iii-i0 of Fig. l.

The snow remover is generally of the type shown in my prior Patent No.2,144,311. It is composed of a frame having a left-hand wall 2 and aright-hand side wall 4, between which extends a back wall 6. This backwall is preferably, as shown in the prior patent referred to above,provided with an opening leading int a fan casing having a dischargespout. The casing has a rearwardly extending portion 3 which carries apinion l0 driven from a, suitable source of power and which is intendedto drive the augers.

The augers l2 are formed in two sections of opposed shape which are bothadapted upon rotation to feed snow towards the center of the snowremover. Each auger is composed of flights l4 welded along the outsideof a tube is. Tube H5 at each end has welded or otherwise rigidlysecured thereon collars I8, 20. The collar l8 at the right-hand side ofFig. 2 (the left-hand side of the snow remover) is connected by bolts 22to a sprocket 24. In the form of the invention shown, there are three ofthe augers arranged in superposed relation to each other. Sprockets 24are driven by a chain 25 which extends around the sprockets and overidling sprockets 28 and 30 to sprocket l0. Driving of sprocket l0 thuscauses the turning of all the sprockets 24 and the rotation of theaugers.

'At the other end of each auger. the collar 26 is connected by bolts 32to a wheel 34, shown also in Fig. 3. Wheel 34 is provided with a seriesof projecting points 36, which of course rotate with the auger and thusprevent the packing of snow around this end of the auger.

Tube l5 and the rigidly connected wheels 24 and 34 are mounted by ballbearings 38 on the outside of internally threaded sleeves All. The twosleeves 40 at opposite ends of the auger are connected by a smaller tube42 which is connected to the sleeves by pins M. The sleeves 40 areengaged by bolts 46 having their stems threadedly engaged in theinterior of the sleeves, and their heads 48 engaging the outside-s ofthe walls 2 and 4 respectively.

It is obvious that with this assembly the auger line e-a oi itself turnsfreely on the ball bearings 38, and has no other connection with thesnow remover casing. The walls of the snow remover, on the other hand,are properly held in spaced relationship, and the auger is supportedbetween them, by the bolts it which through the connecting pipe #2 candraw the walls 2 and 4 towards each other so as to hold them in properposition.

Another advantage of this construction is that to remove the auger allthat is necessary is to remove bolts 46, whereupon "sleeves to and theauger with them may be moved forward in the casing and easily taken outfor repair or replacement.

The chain for driving the augers is protected from access of snow by theguard arrangement shown particularly in Figs, 4 to 10. This guardarrangement includes a rear plate '55! which is spaced from the wall 2,and which is provided with semicircular recesses 52 in its forward edgeopposite each of the angers. The diameters of these recesses issubstantially equal to that of the flanges of sleeves l8, and is lessthan that of the sprockets 24.

The front edge of the plate as is aligned with a second plate havingstraight portions 54 and semiannular portions opposite and mating withthe semicircular recesses 52 in the back plate 55, and of the samediameter. The opposed plates thus form a series of circular openingsthrough which extend the auger tubes is. The plate is connected at topand bottom to the side wall 2 by bolts 52 engaged through lugs 63 on theplate.

The plate is provided around each of the annular portions 56 with aflange 62 extending outwardly up to the wall 2. Along the top of themachine the space between plate 59 and wall 2 is also closed by a flangeThese flanges are welded along the edges of the semiannular portions 58as indicated for example at 66 in Fig. 4.

Mounted on the front faces of flanges 52 are point-forming members.These are generally pyramidal in shape, each having an inner face 68,inclined outwardly, an outer face T8 inclined inwardly, and upper andlower faces 12 and M inclined downwardly and upwardly respectively, allof these faces meeting at a point as at 16. These pyramidal members havealso inner portions it provided with holes at by which they may bebolted to the side wall 2 of the casing as by bolt 8! (Fig. 9). Thepyramidal members are welded onto the flanges G2 and point forwardlytherefrom.

The vertical space between the pyramidal members, and between platesections '54 and the wall 2, is closed by inclined walls 82 which attheir front edges are closely adjacent to the casing wall 2, While theplates slope inwardly and at their back edges are welded to the frontedge of portions 54 of the plate 52. Within the space between sideplates 82 and side wall 2 extend bars 8 1 Welded at their ends to thepyramidal members, by which these members may be secured to the casingwall 2.

It will be noted that the area of space 68 in front projection isconsiderably greater than that of space iii, and that plates 82 also addto the inner surface as compared with the outer sur face. Thisconstruction tends to balance the effect of the snow on the side casingwall, inasmuch as the pressure per unit of area on the inside of thewall is less than on the outside because of the continuous removal ofsnow away from the casing wall by the augers. It is thus possible toobtain adequate balance so as to prevent the snow remover from shiftinglaterally from its proper direction.

The snow removed casing is completed by a shoe 86 which is mounted atthe bottom of the side wall 2 and is adapted to rest on the highway whenthe snow remover is in use.

While I have described herein one embodiment of my invention I wish itto be understood that I do not intend to limit myself thereby exceptwithin the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a snow remover having a casing provided with a wall and meanswithin said casing to move snow away from the wall, said wall havingmeans thereon for entering the snow, said entering means tapered fromthe front towards both sides and having in projection on a transversevertical plane a greater area on the inside of the wall than on theoutside thereof.

2. In a snow remover having a casing provided with a side wall andsmeans within said casing to move snow laterally from the side walltowards the center of the casing, said side wall having means thereonfor entering the snow, said entering means tapered from the fronttowards both sides and having in projection on a transverse verticalplane a greater area on the inside of the wall than on the outsidethereof.

3. In a snow remover, a casing having a side wall, an auger, meansmounting said auger in the side wall of said casing to turn about atransverse horizontal axis, a sprocket on said auger, a chain engagingsaid sprocket for driving the same, and covering means for said chainand sprocket, said covering means comprising a plate at the rear of saidangers having in its front edge a semicircular recess extending aroundsaid auger, means securing said plate in spaced relation to the sidewall of the casing, a second plate having a semicircular recess in itsrear edge, said recess mating with the recess in said first plate, and apyramidal member in front of the portions of said second plate in whichsaid recess is located, said pyramidal member having its apex pointingforwardly.

i In a snow remover, a casing having a side wall, an auger, meansmounting said auger in the side wall of said casing to turn about atransverse horizontal axis, a sprocket on said auger, a chain engagingsaid sprocket for driving the same, and covering means for said chainand sprocket, said covering means comprising a plate at the rear of saidaugers having in. its front edge a semicircular recessextending aroundsaid auger, means securing said plate in spaced relation to the sidewall of the casing; a second plate having a semicircular recess in itsrear edge, said recess mating with the recess in said first plate, and apyramidal member in front of the portions of said second plate in whichsaid recess is located, said pyramidal member having its apex pointingforwardly, and a member extending vertically from said pyramidal membercomprising a plate having its front edge close to the front edge of thecasing wall and having its rear edge connected to the front edge ofanother portion of said second plate.

5. In a device as claimed in claim 3, said pyramidal portion havinginner, outer, top and bot tom sloping faces,

6. In a device as claimed in claim 3, said py-- ramidal portion havinginner, outer, top and bottom sloping faces, the inner face having agreater area in front projection than the outer face.

'7. In a snow remover, a casing having a side wall, an auger, meansmounting said auger in the side Wall of said casing to turn about atransverse horizontal axis, a sprocket on said auger, a chain engagingsaid sprocket for driving the same, and covering means for said chainand sprocket, said covering means comprising plate means having acircular recess therein extending around said auger, means securing saidplate in spaced relation to the side wall of the casing, and a pyramidalmember in front of the portion of said plate means in which said recessis located, said pyramidal member having its apex pointing forwardly.

8. In a snow remover, a casing having a side wall, an auger, meansmounting said auger in the side wall of said casing to turn about atransverse horizontal axis, a sprocket on said auger, a chain engagingsaid sprocket for driving the same, and covering means for said chainand sprocket, said covering means comprising plate means having acircular recess therein extending around said auger, means securing saidplate in spaced relation to the side wall of the casing, and a pyramidalmember in front of the portion of said plate means in which said recessis located, said pyramidal member having its apex pointing forwardly,and a member extending vertically from said pyramidal member comprisinga plate having its front edge close to the front edge of the casing walland having its rear edge connected to the front edge of another portionof said plate means.

9. In a snow remover, a casing having a side Wall, a plurality ofaugers, means mounting said augers in the side wall of said casing toturn about transverse horizontal axes, sprockets on said augers, a chainengaging said sprockets for driving the same, and covering means forsaid chain and sprockets, said covering means comprising a plate at therear of said augers having in its front edge semicircular recessesextending around said augers, means securing said plate in spacedrelation to the side wall of the casing, a second plate havingsemicircular recesses in its rear edge, said recesses mating with therecesses in said first plate, and a pyramidal member closing the spacebetween the portions of said second plate in which said recesses arelocated and the side wall of the casing, said pyramidal member havingits apex pointing forwardly.

10. In a snow remover, a casing having a side wall, a plurality ofaugers, means mounting said augers in the side wall of said casing toturn about transverse horizontal axes, sprockets on said augers, a chainengaging said sprockets for driving the same, and covering means forsaid chain and sprockets, said covering means comprising a plate at therear of said augers having in its front edge semicircular recessesextending around said augers, means securing said plate in spacedrelation to the side wall of the casing, a second plate havingsemicircular recesses in its rear edge, said recesses mating with therecesses in said first plate, and a pyramidal member closing the spacebetween the portions of said second plate in which said recesses arelocated and the side wall of the casing, said pyramidal member havingits apex pointing forwardly, and a member extending between adjacentpyramidal members comprising a plate having its front edge close to thefront edge of the casing wall and having its rear edge connected to thefront edge of the portion of said second plate between said semicircularrecesses.

11. In a snow remover, a casing having a side wall, a plurality ofaugers, means mounting said augers in the side wall of said casing toturn about transverse horizontal axes, sprockets on said augers, a chainengaging said sprockets for driving the same, and covering means forsaid chains and sprockets, said covering means including a pyramidalmember in front of each of said augers adjacent the casing wall, saidpyramidal member having its apex pointing forwardly.

12. In a snow remover, a casing having a side Wall, a plurality of snowengaging means, means mounting said snow engaging means in the side wallof said casing to turn about transverse horizontal axes, sprockets onsaid snow engaging means, a chain engaging said sprockets for drivingthe same, and covering means for said chains and sprockets, saidcovering means including a pyramidal member in front of each of saidsnow engaging means adjacent the casing wall, said pyramidal memberhaving its apex pointing forwardly.

13. In a snow remover, a casing having a side wall, snow engaging means,means mounting said snow engaging means in the side Wall of said casingto turn about transverse horizontal axis, means on said snow engagingmeans for driving the same, and covering means for said driving means,said covering means including a pyramidal member in front of said snowengaging means adjacent the casing wall, said pyramidal member havingits apex pointing forwardly.

14. In a snow remover, comprising a casing, bearings mounted in the sidewalls of the casing, a snow-engaging conveying member having meansthereon for moving snow transversely thereof mounted in said bearings toturn about a transverse horizontal axis, and means on one end of saidconveying member adjacent a side wall of the casing and in clearingrelation to one of said bearings for breaking up snow, said meanscomprising a wheel having a plurality of points thereon.

WALTER E. KLAUER.

